


Black Rose

by good_mythical_miles, JamesTheMythicalBeast



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Dubious Consent, Infidelity, M/M, Violence, alcohol use, rhink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-08-15 20:59:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8072557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/good_mythical_miles/pseuds/good_mythical_miles, https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamesTheMythicalBeast/pseuds/JamesTheMythicalBeast
Summary: Rhett and Link are in a happy long-term relationship. When their old friend from college comes to town, they're excited to spend some quality together. However, things don't go as planned. This fic was inspired by the song Black Rose by Sadistik (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17trAL1phNw) and the GMM "Link's Epic Mountain Bike Fail" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN0fY3eHgvI)





	1. Chapter 1

“I’m taking a lunch!” Rhett called out to his coworkers at Black and Veatch. “Want me to bring anything back?”

“No thanks,” they all responded, grateful for the offer.

Rhett waved goodbye, heading into the elevator. He pulled out his phone, sending Link a simple “Be there soon!” text. He added a kissing emoji for good measure, smiling to himself. He and Link had a standing bi-weekly lunch date at Don Chipotle, a small, family owned sandwich shop. It was near enough to his office that he could walk to it, hang out with Link for a while, and walk back before his break was over.

Rhett hurried down the sidewalk, the crisp December air biting at his exposed skin. As always, Link was already in the comfortably warm restaurant when he arrived. “Hey, baby,” he said with a smile. “You look nice today.” Rhett leaned in, kissing Link sweetly on the cheek.

“You look better! Is that the new suit you bought?”

“Yeah. You like it?” Rhett chuckled and did a goofy twirl before sitting in the metal chair across from Link.

“You look sexy,” Link responded, voice lowered.

“If you hadn’t slept in all morning, you could’ve experienced the sexiness earlier,” Rhett teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

“I’ll have plenty of time to experience it later tonight.” Link winked. Their flirting was interrupted when the owner, Don, placed their usual meals in front of them.

Rhett thought back to a conversation he’d had back at the office, regarding the holidays. “Hey, do you think we should set up our Christmas tree tonight?” He took a large bite of his sandwich, eagerly waiting for Link’s response.

Link’s smile transformed into a wide grin. “Definitely! I already bought a couple of your gifts, so I need somewhere to put them.” Rhett’s eyebrows shot up and bit his lip once Link mentioned presents.

“Hmm, _presents_ , huh?” Rhett said with a small wink as he took a sip from his can of Diet Coke. Link simply rolled his eyes playfully, reaching over the table to take Rhett’s hand in his own.

“Rhett? Link?” A voice was heard behind both men. Link turned around to see a familiar face smiling at them.

“Nick!” Link exclaimed excitedly as he stood up and ran up to the man. “It’s been so long!” Link remembered this man--he was an old friend from college. Rhett had also stood up, and Link figured he was waiting for him to move to also get a hug.

“Hey man!” Rhett exclaimed with as much excitement that Link had.

Nick stole a chair from another table and the three men sat down at the table where Rhett and Link had been eating. “So, what are you doing all the way over here?” Link asked, remembering that Nick had expressed his lack of interest in going any place other than North Carolina.

“I wanted to start a new life here! I think it was time for me to move on. You miss a lot of experiences stuck in rural North Carolina,” he answered. “Besides, I hear that it’s great here in LA!”

“You know it!” Rhett said with a big smile. “There’s so much stuff to do here. You won’t regret coming here.” He reached over to Link’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Link saw that Nick’s eyes had landed on their intertwined hands. “Oh, did we ever tell you that we were in a relationship?” Link wondered. He felt nervous that Nick would say something negative about it. His facial expression wasn’t positive, but it also didn’t seem as if it was negative.

“You guys never made a big announcement, but we all knew. You guys were always closer to each other than the average male best friends. You two kissed in front of me a couple of times,” Nick said. He looked at Link for a bit before a smile grew on his face. “I’m glad for you two! Especially since you guys live in such a liberal place like L.A. Back at home, it would’ve been so much different. You two make a great couple, and you deserve to be able to be open about it.”

Link’s smile turned into a frown when Nick mentioned back home. He knew that in North Carolina, two men in a relationship wasn’t something to be shown off. Whenever Rhett and Link would visit for the holidays, they would have to keep something simple as hand holding away from the public eye.

“Well, we aren’t going to sit here and talk about that. What matters now is that Rhett and I are happy,” Link said with a wide smile.

“Yeah and besides, you’re here and we haven’t seen each other for so long. Are you going to be getting a job while you’re in town?” Rhett asked as the waiter came up to the table.

“Link, Don wanted to ask you something privately,” he whispered to him. Link was confused as to why the owner would need him. Rhett looked at him with the same confused expression.

“Uh, where is he?” Link asked. The waiter pointed over where the man was standing in front of the _Employees Only_ door. Link stood up and slowly walked over to the man waiting for him. “Is everything okay?”

“I needed to talk to you about a job opportunity. I overheard your conversation with your boyfriend the other day, about the fact that you were looking for a job, but no one would accept you?” He got right to the point. “I wanted to start a delivery service for the shop, but we don’t have anyone who can drive around the city to deliver. You’re here hanging out all the time, so I figured you’d be the one to ask. Would you want to work with us as a delivery boy?”

Link got excited about the offer and accepted it without a moment of hesitation. “Yes! Gosh, thank you so much! When is the interview?”

The owner smiled at the excited man and lightly patted his shoulder. “You already got the job, I just need you to come back tomorrow in the morning to sign some stuff and arrange a schedule for you.”

“Thank you so much. You have no idea how grateful I am,” Link said as he shook his new boss’s hand.

He went back to the table with his friends, grinning and sat down, looking to Nick and Rhett with a wide grin on his face. “It seems like today went way better than how I originally thought it would!” He held onto Rhett’s hand, squeezing gently.

“Why, what happened?” Nick asked as he shifted a bit in his seat.

“I got a job here as a delivery guy!” Link almost yelled. Rhett gasped and pulled his boyfriend in for a hug. Link knew that Rhett was happy for him. He’d been looking for a job because he hated seeing Rhett always going to work when he spent his days at home alone.

“I’m so happy for you!” Rhett said and gently kissed his lips.

Rhett pulled his phone out to quickly check the time. “Sorry to cut this short, but I have to go back to work. My break is ending soon.”

Link pouted and pulled him in for another small kiss on the lips.

“Bye, Rhett! Hopefully I can see you later?” Nick asked with an arched eyebrow. “Christmas is right around the corner, and I would love to hang out with you guys.”

Link immediately answered for both of them, “Yes! Of course, Nick!” He exclaimed with glee. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun for the three of us! It’s been too long.”

Rhett smiled at Link’s excitement. It was obvious that he was overjoyed about seeing their old college friend. Link was already listing different things they could do for Christmas Eve and what he and his boyfriend could try and cook together. It was so exciting to him that all he wanted to do is talk about the possibilities all day.

“Well, see you later Nick!” Rhett said with a big smile as he walked away.

Once Rhett was out of sight, Link moved seats so he was across the table from Nick. “We should do something just the two of us soon,” Link said as he took a bite out of his sandwich that was still sitting on his plate in front of him.

“Well, I was thinking about starting to go mountain biking, but I find it embarrassing going alone,” Nick admitted, placing his chin on his hand. “Perhaps you can come with me?”

Link smiled widely and nodded his head to agree with Nick. “That sounds great! How about we start this weekend? You know, so you have time to move into your house and get comfortable with LA. It’s a pretty busy city,” he said.

“It’s a plan! Well, I have to be going right now. I still have to do some paperwork and look for a job,” Nick quickly said. He stood up from his seat and offered Link his hand. Link grabbed it and got pulled into a big hug. “It was so great seeing you and Rhett.”

“Same goes to you.”

\----

Rhett got home from work late that night. When he entered the home, the lights were either off or very dim, and candles were lit, leaving the home in an orange glow and scented with vanilla. Some very soft Christmas music was playing in the other room. Rhett smiled and set his bag down, walking into the living room to find Link. Sure enough, there he was, sprawled out on the couch holding a cup of hot chocolate.

“You’re late!” Link whined, pouting for dramatic effect.

“I know, I’m sorry. I see you got started without me…” Rhett glanced at their tree in the corner of the room. Link had already strung some fairy lights around it, and there were a handful of ornaments hanging from its branches.

“I wasn’t sure when you were gonna get here.”

Link stood and walked over to Rhett, grabbing his hand and dragging him further into the room. “C’mon! I’ll make you a cup, too. You start putting more ornaments on.”

“Alright,” Rhett laughed. He kneeled down, still in his suit, and began unwrapping their ornaments. They’d been collected throughout the years--some from arts and crafts days from their childhood, some from work functions, and others gifts from friends and family. Every year, decorating the tree was a time of warm, fuzzy nostalgia between himself and Link--a time of reminiscing about all the years they’d shared side by side. Link returned, kneeling next to him. Link handed him an identical mug to his own, and they began decorating the tree together, sipping on their warm, rich beverages. After an hour, with warmth sitting comfortably at the base of his belly, Rhett placed his mug on the end table. He took Link’s from his hands and placed it next to his own.

“What are you doing?” Link asked, eyebrow raised.

Rhett didn’t respond. He just placed his hands on Link’s hips and began swaying slowly. “You look gorgeous in this light,” he muttered.

“You sayin’ I look best in the dark?” Link teased, resting his hands on Rhett’s chest.

“You know what I mean,” Rhett chuckled.

Link stood on his tip toes and kissed Rhett gently, but firmly on the mouth. Their lips moved in perfect unison, each man tasting the rich chocolate on the other’s breath. Link pulled away first, but he was still close enough that their noses were touching. His chocolate breath caressed Rhett’s skin as he spoke. “I know Christmas is still a few weeks away, but I wanna give you an early present.” His voice was deep--sensual. Rhett felt a wave of warm tingles travel down his body, settling in his lower abdomen.

“Gosh, Link…” he muttered, his voice breathy.

Link began leaving kisses across Rhett’s jaw, travelling down his neck. His mouth moved to Rhett’s chest, kissing down his abdomen through his shirt. He stopped just above his crotch, and said, “Ready?”

“You bet.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a late chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Rhett was absolutely exhausted. There were some issues at work, and he had to stay late—really late. It was already 9:30 in the evening, and he was just now driving home. The entire time he was at work, he was nodding off. He wanted nothing more than to forget about engineering for the rest of the day and to be home with Link. He finally pulled into the driveway of their home at 10:00. Rhett unlocked the door and dumped his briefcase and jacket on the floor of the entryway.

“Link?” he called out.

“I’m in bed already!” was the other man’s response.

Rhett smiled. He was worried he’d be forced to stay up and hang out with Link when he really just wanted to sleep. He kicked off his shoes before wandering into the bedroom. The lights were already off, and he could see the vague shape of Link under the covers. “I didn’t wake you up, did I?” Rhett asked.

“Nope. I was just waiting for you to get home.” Link’s tone was slightly flirtatious.

“Okay, wait. You don’t want to fool around tonight, do you? Because I’m—“

“Nooo,” Link laughed. “I know you had a long day.”

Rhett smiled in relief. He quickly brushed his teeth and undressed before pulling on some sweatpants and a t-shirt. He climbed into bed and sighed a content sigh when Link immediately cuddled up against him, resting his head on Rhett’s chest.

“How was your day?” Rhett asked him, his voice a soft whisper.

“Good. Nick and I made plans to go mountain biking this weekend!”

“Oh, yeah?” Rhett asked, a slight pang of jealousy washing over him.

“Yep! We’re going on Saturday morning.”

“It sucks that I have to work then…” Rhett grumbled.

“Aaaw! You’re jealous!” Link teased.

“I am not!”

“Yes you are!” Link giggled, playfully slapping Rhett’s chest. “Maybe you can come next time.”

“Maybe. I’m glad you’re making yourself busy. I know you were getting kind of stir crazy.”

Link kissed Rhett on the cheek. “Thanks, babe. Between the mountain biking and my new job, I think I’m gonna be a lot happier. And, uh…not to mention the fact that I get to start thinking about planning a wedding.” Rhett had very informally proposed to Link just a couple of weeks earlier. 

Rhett trailed his fingers through Link’s soft hair. He didn’t feel the need to respond. It was in moments like these that Rhett was happiest.

“Goodnight,” Link whispered after a few minutes of wordless, comfortable cuddling.

Rhett dozed off soon after.

 

* * *

 

“Are you ready, Link?” Nick asked the brunet as Link got on the bike. 

 

“Yeah, man!” Link replied with a wide smile. He was excited that he got to do this with Nick. It had been a while since he’d gone mountain biking with someone. He and Rhett used to go, but they stopped due to the fact that it was a strain on his back. “Don’t get hurt on the way down though,” he warned his friend. 

 

Nick gave him a smile and shook his head. “I’ll be okay, I think  _ you _ should be careful on  _ your _ way down,” Nick teased. He softly pat Link’s back. His hand remained there a couple more seconds than what Link would consider platonically normal. Link turned to look at him with a small smile, and his friend removed his hand from his back and placed it on his handlebar. 

 

“Well, let's go!” Nick shouted as he drove his bike down.

 

“Hey!” Link shouted with a giggle and went after him. To avoid any accidents, he made sure to stay behind him instead of beside him. “Don’t leave like that, man,” he told him with a small smile. 

 

“Aw, why? Linkypoo got scared?” Nick teased. 

 

Link bit his lip in embarrassment. He felt his cheeks get hot with the mention of the nickname Nick had given him. It was unusual for him to give Link a nickname--at least, from what he could remember.

 

“No, I just don’t want you to get into an accident,” he responded as he tried to control his bike. He did not want his first time down to be the one he got into an accident. “Just, don’t get too close to my bike because we’ll both get hurt if we crash into each other.”

 

They spent the ride down joking around and teasing each other, Nick threatening to cross his bike in front of Link’s to scare him. 

 

“You look great in those clothes Link!” Nick had also mentioned. Link didn’t know if it was an innocent compliment among friends or if Nick was trying to flirt with him. 

 

What the heck was he thinking? Nick is his friend--of course it was a friendly compliment...from a  _ friend _ . 

 

“Thanks,” Link responded bashfully as they came to a stop at the bottom of the mountain. 

 

“Looks like we’ve reached the bottom,” Nick observed as they both looked around. “Still pretty impressed that you didn’t get hurt on the way down,” Nick said with a laugh. Link turned to him and playfully pushed his arm. 

 

The two giggled as they started to playfully hit each other's arms. The laughing came to a sudden halt once Nick’s hand stayed a little bit too long on Link’s bicep. Link stared into his hazel eyes, getting lost in them...eyes that looked very similar to Rhett’s… Link shook his head quickly.  _ This is so wrong, so wrong!  _ he thought to himself.  _ Why did I keep staring into his eyes?! Sure, they’re so beautiful and...amazing...just like Rhett’s...but this is wrong! _

 

“Wanna go up again?” Nick asked, interrupting Link from his messy thoughts. 

 

“What? Oh, yeah. Sure, that’d be great!” Link replied, a small, shy smile forming on his face as Nick pat his shoulder gently. 

 

Both men went to the ski lift, hooked their bikes onto their own seats before sitting together on another. They talked about how wonderfully the day had been going, how much fun they were having, and even discussed making this trip a regular thing. Somewhere in the middle of their conversation, Nick placed his hand gingerly on Link’s knee, softly caressing the bare skin with his thumb. 

 

Link tensed up a bit, holding his breath as Nick’s hand ended up higher on his thigh. 

 

_ If I’m being honest with myself, this does feel good. His hand is so warm against me… It’s so soft...  _

 

“We’re almost to the top!” Nick exclaimed, his excitement evident on his face as well as his voice.

 

_ No, no, no! Link you shouldn’t enjoy this at all. You have a fiance for goodness sake! _

 

As they reached the top of the mountain once again, Nick’s hand left Link’s thigh. There was a second where Link had missed the warmth of Nick’s hand on him, though he quickly shook those thoughts out of his head as he got on his bike. Before Nick could get onto his own bike, his arm snaked around Link’s waist and pulled him close to him. 

The brunet had panicked a bit since he felt as if he was falling off of the bike. 

 

“Ready?” Nick asked, a small smile forming on his face leaving Link’s face feeling hot. 

 

_ Gosh this is so wrong.  _

 

“Yeah. I’m ready.”

 

* * *

 

Link unlocked the front door and stepped inside.

“Rhett?” he called out into the quiet home.

“I’m in the kitchen!” Rhett responded loudly.

Link slipped off his dirty, mountain-covered shoes, leaving them by the door before padding through the hallway to the kitchen. He was welcomed by the sight of Rhett wearing a pink apron that he’d never seen before standing in front of the stove.

“What is that?”

“Do you like it?” Rhett turned to show off the front.

The apron’s front was decorated with two cartoon cupcakes over each breast and darker pink, swirly text that read, “Come taste my cupcakes!”

Link choked on his spit before giggling hysterically. “Uh, yeah… Yeah, I guess so!”

Rhett grinned at Link’s response before turning back to the pot of soup he had been stirring. “How was your adventure with Nick?” he asked after a moment.

Link bit his lip, suddenly feeling tense. His mind raced back to all the small, perhaps insignificant touches that Nick had given him throughout their trip. Link felt a twinge of guilt. He reminded himself that absolutely nothing had happened, and Nick probably would be horrified to know that Link was even worried that he’d meant the touches as anything more than platonic, friendly ones between friends.

When Link didn’t respond right away, Rhett asked sarcastically, “That good, huh? Do I need to be worried?”

“What? No, I—“

Rhett chuckled again. “Chill out, babe. I’m kidding! I am a little jealous, since I wish I could go with you, but I’ll get over it,” he shrugged.

Link smiled. “I love you so much, Rhett McLaughlin.” He walked up behind Rhett and wrapped his arms around his waist, resting his forehead against his back.

“I love you more.”

Link gulped. He wasn’t sure why he was so worked up over what had happened. In fact, nothing had happened at all. Nick was his old friend, and the fact that he was worried about a few gentle touches was ridiculous. He just… He couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all better get ready for what's coming ;^)-Miles and James


	3. Chapter 3

Rhett grumbled frustrated nonsense at his own reflection in the mirror, untying his tie a third time before attempting to tie it again. He usually didn’t have this much trouble getting ready for work--it was just already one of those days. That’s when Link joined him in the restroom, beginning his usual routine of roughly massaging pomade into his hair, getting the volume and style just how he liked it.

“Do I look okay?” the smaller man asked, turning to face Rhett and posing.

Rhett barely glanced at Link, his only response a simple, “Yup.”

Link frowned. “Rhett, it’s my first day of work. I want to look my best! Just--”

“Babe, your job is a sandwich delivery boy. It doesn’t really matter what you look like.”

A heavy, slightly frustrated feeling washed over Link. “This is important to me, Rhett... I still want to impress--”

“Just wear an old t-shirt, man. Don’t think about it too much.”

“But I want to think about it! I want to impress the boss and the customers!” Link’s voice was beginning to rise, his frustration beginning to morph into anger.

Rhett shrugged, adjusting his tie one final time. “Does this look even?”

Link clenched his jaw before taking a deep breath to calm himself. He responded, his voice shaky. “So your job is more important than mine?”

“I mean, I’m making a lot more than you are, and yours is just more of a hobby, but--”

Link had heard enough. He stormed out of the bathroom, grabbed his shoes, and left the house. As soon as Link was gone, Rhett started to feel guilty. He definitely did not mean to imply that Link’s job didn’t matter--that he was the “important” one in the relationship. He knew how much this new experience meant to Link--how meaningful it was to him that he was working again--and he should have been nothing but loving and supporting. Rhett made eye contact with himself in the mirror, shook his head, and said, “What the hell is wrong with you?” Sighing, Rhett tied his shoes, got his briefcase packed, and headed off to his own job.

Rhett’s day at work was an arduous one. He couldn’t focus on the paperwork and blueprints laying on the table in front of him. Instead, he kept glancing at his phone, wondering if he should text Link...or call him. Maybe calling would be smarter. But every time he unlocked his phone and began typing a message, he chickened out. It all read like he was making excuses.

“Link, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I know it’s important to you, but it is just a--”

No. Don’t keep the argument going.

“Link--hope your day is going good. I’m sorry about earlier. You really did look sexy when you left the house ;)”

Nope. That’s way too flirty. Take it down a notch.

“I’m sorry about earlier, babe. I was just really frustrated with my tie, and--”

Rhett decided not to send that text either, feeling he was making himself out to be the victim. He made the decision to just let things cool off, and he’d apologize to Link later that evening. They’d had a lot worse fights in the past, but they never lasted more than just a few hours. He worried that sending Link a text now would bother him and distract him from his hopefully fun first day at work, so he put his phone away and forced himself to focus on his paperwork.

Link made it to his new job a few minutes earlier than his shift was supposed to start. He was extremely excited, although the fact that Rhett called his job unimportant was weighing pretty heavily on him. What mattered the most to him was that he was happy that he finally got a job like he’d been trying to. He needed to keep himself busy, and he was finally doing that.

“Hello, boss!” Link shouted excitedly, scaring the poor man.

“Link, you seem very excited for your first day,” Don stated, handing him a small pack of papers and a black baseball cap. “This is your schedule for this month. Since you’re the delivery boy, you don’t need to use a uniform, except for the hat.”

Link smiled at him as he looked through his new schedule. It seemed like the majority of the days he’d be having lunch with Rhett. Rhett… Link frowned at that thought of the argument they’d had not so long ago. He shook his head, telling himself to focus on work. He grabbed the hat his boss handed to him and placed it on his head.

“You’ll also need this notepad to write down the addresses and special instructions, stuff like that,” he finished saying, giving Link the small notepad. The brunet furrowed his eyebrows and felt around in his pockets for a pen. As if Don was reading his mind, he placed a pen above Link’s ear and left his office.

Link felt embarrassed as he removed the pen and went to the employees room. He felt nervous, and since it was his first day as an employee, it seemed like he was the only one who didn’t know what they were doing. He bumped into a girl in an apron and a blonde ponytail tucked into her hat.

“Sorry,” Link murmured nervously

“Oh, no! Don’t apologize! I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going,” she smiled and laughed. The young girl picked up Link’s notepad and pen from the floor and handed it to him. “You’re the brand new, very first delivery guy?” she asked, even though the answer was pretty obvious.

Link chuckled and answered her. “Yeah, yeah I am. This is my first day and I am pretty dang nervous.”

“Don’t be! You’ll fit in just fine. If you have any questions, you can always ask me! My name is Veronica!” Veronica said with a wide smile. Link smiled back and shook her hand softly. “Uh, my name is Link,” he introduced himself.

“Veronica! You break is over!” a voice called out from the kitchen.

Veronica’s eyes widened as she looked back to the kitchen. “Well, looks like I have to go. When is your break?”

“Uh, lemme check...” Link hurriedly got his schedule for the day out and looked it over. “It’s at 2...” he read out loud.

“My shift ends at that time! See you then?”

Link smiled and nodded at his new friend. “Sure!”

Veronica left to the kitchen, and at the same time, someone in the front of the store called for Link. He walked quickly to where the register was and found who was calling.

“Hey, new guy. We got some orders for you to take,” a tanned man said. “These are the addresses. Write them down and quickly go, the orders are right there.” He pointed at the wide window where the chefs left the sandwiches at. “Only take the ones that are in the fancy paper bags. Good luck, man.” He said and walked away to take orders from the people that were in line. This whole thing suddenly began to seem a bit harder than what Link had originally expected.

The day passed by as Link would go back and forth, delivering the sandwiches, collecting the money, and returning back to the store for more orders, repeating the process over and over again. As tedious as it sounded, however, Link did find it fun. He loved driving around--he learned about different areas in L.A where he had never visited before.

“Link!” The brunet heard a smooth, soft voice behind him. Turning around, he saw Veronica without her apron and hat, only with the uniform shirt and white pants. “You’re on your break now buddy,” she pointed out.

Looking at the clock, Link’s  eyes widened. “Holy crap, it’s 2 already!?” he exclaimed and removed his hat. Patting his pockets, he suddenly realized that he’d forgotten something. “I, uh… My wallet…”

“Left it in the car?” Veronica asked, smiling as Link dropped his head in embarrassment. “Don’t worry! I have mine with me!”

“No, don’t,” Link insisted, not wanting to take her money. Before he could argue further, she interrupted him.

“As a welcome to the crew, this sandwich is on me!” Veronica sang, winking at Link as she skipped to the surprisingly empty register. Rolling his eyes in a teasing manner, Link gave in. He was ridiculously hungry, after all.

“Hey, Veronica. I thought you’d have left by now?” the woman behind the counter asked as she looked from Veronica to Link. Link recognized her--she’d serve Rhett and him from time to time. Looking closer, he saw the name on her name tag: Catherine.

“Yeah, I just wanted to buy Link here some lunch. He forgot his wallet,” Veronica teased. Link bit his bottom lip in embarrassment, nodding in acknowledgment that she was telling the truth.

Catherine laughed at Link’s reaction. “The usual?” she asked.

Link nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, please!”

As she pressed the buttons on her touch screen, Catherine absentmindedly asked, “Is your boyfriend coming today? Should I just add his order, too?”

Link swallowed hard, glancing at their usual table. He bit his lower lip, thinking back to their earlier argument. “I, uh… I don’t know.”

“You have a boyfriend?” Veronica asked, surprised.

Link turned to her, scratching his head and nodding. “Uh, well, he’s my fiance to be exact,” he explained, his heart started beating fast. He was a bit worried that she’d be grossed out or something, and Link didn’t want his very first friendship at work to be over so quickly.

“Oh gosh! Well, I think that is the cutest thing ever. Will I get to meet him!?” She asked, a small smile on her face slowly turning into a hopeful grin.

Link was pleasantly surprised. “I think he’ll be coming today... Hopefully… We usually have lunch together.”

Hopefully...

Veronica and Link went to sit down at the table that he and Rhett usually would sit down at for lunch. He pulled his phone out, checking if he had received any text messages from Rhett. Nothing.

No message. No call. Nothing.

Link’s anger came flooding back and he locked his phone. He felt as if he wanted to cry right then and there, although he forced himself to keep it inside. He wouldn’t let himself cry front of Veronica, especially considering they’d just met. It wasn’t a good first impression.

“Sooo, how was your first day?” Veronica asked, smiling and nudging his shoulder in a joking way.

“It was fun! I actually enjoyed it plenty. I’m really looking forward to working more,” Link said, though he still felt overwhelmingly sad. He decided to ignore it and focus on talking to Veronica.

“I’m glad to hear that! This is a really fun place to work at. You’re lucky Don offered you a job. I guess since you’re a regular customer, he ended up liking you enough to hire you,” she stated. 

Before answering, a different girl than usual approached with his sandwich and placed it in front of him. “Thank you,” Link told the waitress with a small smile. Veronica kept talking, though Link was still distracted by the fact that Rhett hadn’t messaged him at all that day.

Should I message him?

“Link?” Veronica’s voice brought Link back to reality. “You okay?”

“Sorry, I was uh, distracted…” he trailed off. Link looked at the door, hoping that Rhett would walk in like he usually did...hoping to see him coming through that door. Or at least a text that he’s on his way. Or a text that just said “Good luck.” Something. Anything.

“What’s on your mind?” Veronica questioned, concern filling her voice as she moved her chair closer to the table. Her hands were folded under her chin as she looked at the man across from her. Link found himself realizing that her eyes were an emerald green.

Just like Rhett’s.

“Um… I…” Link trailed off, debating whether or not he should confide in her. After glancing at the door one last time, he gave in. “It’s just that my fiance and I had a small argument this morning. We usually have lunch dates today, so he’s supposed to be here, but he hasn’t even texted me,” he explained, looking down at his phone as he took a bite out of his sandwich.

“Awww, sweetie... I’m sure you both are going to have things figured out,” she said as she gently placed her soft hand on top of Links.

He sighed and nodded his head, smiling at her. Link gently slipped his hand out from under Veronica’s to pick his sandwich up. “Yeah, I hope so.”

“Well, I gotta get going now. Is it okay if I give you my number?” she asked, her face full of worry as she dug through her purse. She could sense just how upset Link was. “I want you to know that you can text or call me whenever you need something. I know you just started here, but I think of the employees here as my family, and you’re one of us now.”

“Uh, yeah sure.” he said, grabbing a napkin for her to write on. She grabbed the napkin from Link’s hand and wrote her number on it. She gave it to him and he read her number. “Thanks, Veronica,” Link said quickly. He was overwhelmed by how immediately accepting and generous she was.

“No problem! See ya later, Link,” she said enthusiastically. She left the shop once Link told her his own goodbyes.

For the rest of his break, Link sat there at the table, patiently waiting for Rhett, hoping he’d come to the shop. Once he accepted the fact that Rhett was indeed not coming, he decided to just prepare himself to deliver more sandwiches. Checking the time, Link realized that he had 3 minutes left until his break was over. It was 3 pm, and he get out at 5. Clocking in, Link went to the register to check if there were any deliveries that he needed to take right away.

The rest of Link’s shift passed by, and he was down to one last order.

Driving to the house, he parked his car right in front of the building and walked up the steps. Knocking, he waited for a bit before the door opened, revealing a shirtless, muscular man. Link’s gaze travelled upward. Finally looking at the man’s face, Link realized who it was.

“Nick?”

Link’s friend smiled and waved as he leaned against the wall next to the door. “Hey Link.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope ya'll enjoyed!!!
> 
> More coming soon! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We apologize in advance... Sorry!
> 
> As always, we love feedback, and thanks for reading! :D

Link was still astonished about seeing Nick, especially in his shirtless state. He’d been staring at him for a few seconds before Nick broke the silence. “You okay, bud?” he asked Link, who gave him the sandwiches without saying a word in return. “Thank you.” Nick gave him the money for the sandwiches. 

“I didn’t know you lived here,” Link then told Nick, looking around the outside of his house. “It’s nice.”

“Thank you, Link,” Nick replied, smiling at him. Link gave him a small smile in return as he fixed his cap. 

“I should get going,” Link said as he began to walk away. Before he could even take a step, he felt Nick’s hand land on his shoulder, turning him around. 

“I wanted to ask,” Nick started, “if you wanted to hang out for a while here with me?”

Link was confused. He wasn’t expecting for Nick to ask him that. He was trying too hard to focus on anything but his bare torso. 

“Yeah, sure,” he answered him. “See you after work.” 

Nick smiled at him and walked back into his house, leaving Link standing outside of his house for a moment before he went to the car and started driving away. 

On the way back to work, Link was thinking about calling Rhett and telling him that he was going to Nick’s house for a bit. Frowning at the thought, he shook his head. Rhett hadn’t texted him at all that day. He wouldn’t care if he’s a couple hours late coming home from work. When he arrived at the sandwich shop, he dropped off the money and got his stuff, ready to clock out. 

“See ya tomorrow, Link!” Someone from the register called out to him. He looked back, seeing a man in his work uniform. He waved back at him with a smile, even though he didn’t recognize him.

He went to his own car and sat there for a bit, letting the car warm up as he checked his phone again. 

**No Unread Messages.  
** **No Missed Calls.**

Link felt his heart sink. He hadn’t received anything from Rhett. Turning his phone off, he gently grasped it with both hands, squeezing it and pushing it against his chest. 

_ Why hasn’t he tried calling me? _

He felt anger fill him and threw his phone on the passenger seat. Grabbing the steering wheel, Link started driving away from the parking lot. 

His mind was filled with various questions, asking himself again and again: _Does Rhett even care?_ _Is he even happy for me?_

Link decided to stop at the store briefly, using the tips he received that day to buy a sixpack of beer. He’d be needing it that night. He just wanted to drain out his emotional problems. He got back into the car and drove off to Nick’s house. 

He rang the doorbell and stood there for a few seconds before Nick, still shirtless, opened the door for him with a small smile. 

“Welcome back, Link!” Nick enthused, moving aside for Link to walk in. The brunet slowly walked into the house. Looking around, he saw a bunch of unpacked boxes stacked on top of each other in the corner of the living room. 

“I still haven’t finished with unpacking, so it’s a bit of a mess in here,” Nick apologized, taking the case of beers that Link was holding. “What would you like to do, Link?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. Link’s mind was a jumbled up mess--he couldn’t think straight when Nick was this close to him. 

Link was looking at Nick straight in the eyes, stuttering as he answered his question. “Uh, I, uh. Whatever’s f-fine, really…” 

Nick smiled and walked over to his couch, waving at Link to come over to him. He obeyed and walked over to the couch with Nick. Sitting down, he immediately felt as if he were sinking into the couch. It was extremely comfortable, making Link smile as he got into a comfortable position. His arm was touching Nick’s ever so slightly. 

“We are going to watch a movie, in celebration of your first day at your job!” Nick exclaimed, leaning down to grab two beers, giving one to Link with a big smile. “I’m so  _ happy _ for you!” 

Link felt overwhelmingly happy. He thanked Nick and opened the can of beer that Nick gave him. As Nick went through his Netflix, Link grabbed his phone, turning it back on to check his notifications. 

**No Unread Messages  
** **No Missed Calls**

Again, nothing. 

Link tossed his phone aside and leaned against Nick’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?” the other man asked as he finally settled for a movie and played it. He leaned back onto the couch and looked down at Link. "Hmm?”

“Nothing,” was all Link told the man, taking another swig of his beer. 

*~*~*~*

Rhett placed the sheet of hash browns into the oven and closed the door before wiping his hands with a rag he had kept on the countertop. He smiled, eager for Link to come home from work so that he could surprise the man with his favorite kind of dinner: breakfast. Link would probably end up eating a bowl of cereal, but Rhett would happily eat the rest of it himself. He’d gotten home from work earlier than he’d expected, so he thought a perfect way to fill the extra time was to prepare a special meal as an apology. He glanced at the clock atop the oven, noting that Link’s shift was supposed to have ended about 15 minutes earlier. Based on the location of the sandwich shop, Link should arrive back home any minute. Rhett grinned. He checked his phone for a text from Link, unsurprised when he saw nothing. He felt awful for what had happened earlier. Rhett had never been one to excel at speaking about his feelings, so he was dealing with what happened with the one thing he knew best: food. He placed his phone back into his pocket and went back to work, beginning the preparation of the bacon and eggs. “Link will be so happy when he walks into the house and smells this,” he thought, making himself laugh with eager anticipation. 

*~*~*~*

Link slowly got closer and closer to Nick as the movie played, the beer was making him feel very cuddly. His head was against Nick’s shoulder as he clung his arm. He heard Nick chuckle so he looked up at him and asked, “Why are you laughing?” 

Nick looked down at him and smiled. “Nothing.” He managed to free his arm from Link’s hold and instead wrapped his arm around Link, pulling him closer. 

Link felt happy. He felt warm. He felt loved. 

“Are you enjoying the movie?” Nick asked, not looking away from him. Link smiled and nodded, burying his face in Nick’s arm. “Are you even paying attention to it?” he teased, laughing at Link looking up to him with a slight glare. 

“Of course I am,” Link answered and sat up, still in Nick’s arm. He then pointed at the TV and said, “That dude is the main character”

“Is that all you know?” Nick asked with a small smile. 

“Shh…” Link shushed. “Don’t judge the way I watch movies.”

Nick giggled, Link’s tipsy silliness making him laugh. 

“Don’t laugh,” Link giggled, laying his arm across Nick’s chest. Getting closer to the man next to him, all thoughts about Rhett left his mind. The only thing his mind screamed was Nick. 

Nick leaned down to Link’s face and softly kissed his cheek. They both stopped laughing. The TV was still playing the movie, but all Link’s fuzzy mind could think about was Nick’s soft lips against his skin. 

“Your lips...are soft,” Link whispered. “Can you do that again?”

Nick obliged, leaning down and kissing his cheek again. Link felt warm, perhaps from the alcohol, perhaps from the physical contact. Nick’s kisses were so soft and he wanted more. He craved more than just small cheek kisses. He felt as if he was losing his self control due to the alcohol that he has been consuming, his common sense slowly abandoning him. Everything Link was doing was pure instinct. 

Without warning, Link used his hand that was across Nick’s chest to pull his face down slowly. He stopped when they were facing each other, their noses slightly touching. 

“Kiss me,” Link demanded. 

Nick grabbed Link’s wrist and kissed his lips. It was slow, passionate and long. It seemed to end as soon as it began, though Link still wanted more. When Nick pulled away, Link chased his lips. He kissed him again, his mind racing as he grabbed Nick by his shirt. 

“Kiss me,” Link repeated, fully sitting on his knees as Nick tangled his fingers into Link’s hair. Slowly, they were losing their breaths. Pulling away from each others mouth, they made eye contact. 

Nick slowly placed his hand on Link’s waist, pulling his body closer to his own. Link cooperated and quickly swung a leg over Nick so that was straddling his lap. Without saying anything, they kissed again. This time, it was more eager. Link didn’t know what he was doing, his head felt fuzzy and he just knew he wanted to be with someone. 

_ Kiss me. Touch me. Make me feel loved.  _

Nothing felt real to him--it all felt like a dream. Nick’s lips on his neck, his hips moving against the man as his hands were tightly gripping his shoulders. It all felt too good, the alcohol playing a major part in making everything feel unbelievably wonderful. 

Nick’s hands were everywhere on Link’s body; on his shoulders, slowly pushing him down against him. His hands went down Link’s back slowly, driving him insane. Nick’s hands were suddenly on his ass, squeezing and pushing him against his hips. Link gasped, arching his back. Link didn’t want him to stop, his body screaming for more, and his mind not in any sort of state to argue. His lips found their way to Nick’s soft, plump lips that were swollen from Link biting them. Nick’s hand slowly went around his waist and down to the growing bulge in the front of Link’s jeans. 

Link stopped kissing Nick. Looking down to his crotch, he saw Nick’s hand slowly palming him. Biting his lower lip, he placed his forehead against Nick’s. He felt as if he was slowly go insane from watching Nick’s large hand rubbing his dick through his jeans, goosebumps shooting across his body and down his spine. “Is this okay?” Nick whispered. Not moving his head, Link saw as Nick’s other hand went to slowly undo Link’s pants. 

Link couldn’t think straight anymore. He couldn’t answer. He couldn’t look at Nick. Something in the back of his mind knew he shouldn’t be doing this. This was wrong. However, the alcohol masked the guilt and turned it into pleasure. Link wanted this, he wanted to feel good. And in his drunken sort of state, he wanted revenge against Rhett. All the self control he had was gone. 

After a while of Link staring at Nick’s hands on him, he looked up and whispered, “Yes.”

*~*~*~*

Link was slowly beginning to regain consciousness. Feeling the warmth radiating off of Rhett’s bare skin, he smiled. Cuddling with Rhett had always been one of Link’s favorite things, so he further snuggled up to the other man. He couldn’t remember how he had gotten home the night before, only hoping that he didn’t drive himself. As the fog of sleep continued to lift further, he realized that he was not in bed, but on the couch. He sighed and smiled again. The thought of arriving at home and he and Rhett not even being able to make it into the bedroom before jumping on each other made him grin from ear to ear. He sighed deeply, stretching his sore limbs. With the inhale, he noticed an unfamiliar scent. Did Rhett buy a different deodorant? He had discussed switching brands… Link didn’t care. His head was beginning to pound, so deoderant was the last thing he wanted to think about. He rolled onto his back to better stretch out. The couch was softer than he remembered it being, but it had been awhile since he’d slept on it. Link rubbed his tired eyes, wanting to take in the sight of his still sleeping lover. When he opened his eyes, however, it was not Rhett that laid before him…

Link froze, his blood running cold. Slowly, events from only a couple of hours earlier began to emerge from buried in his hazy memory. Images of himself straddling Nick’s lap… He felt sick to his stomach. “Oh god, no,” he whimpered. Link scrambled to find his clothes and glasses, which were scattered around the floor. “Where’s my phone?” he asked himself.

He kneeled onto all fours, searching the floor. He heard a buzz under the couch. His cell phone must have fallen at one point. He quickly retrieved it, and saw a multitude of texts from Rhett. Link could feel his throat tightening, tears threatening to release, as his entire world began to crash down around him. He ran to the door and grabbed his coat, shoes, and car keys before leaving the home, slamming the door shut behind him. His tears finally began to fall as he started his car. He unlocked his phone and read over all of his notifications. 

**Text from Rhett:** You almost home? I have a surprise ;)  
 **Text from Rhett:** Hey, you almost home? Your surprise is getting cold!  
 **Missed Call** **from Rhett  
** **Voicemail from Rhett  
** **Text from Rhett:** Link, you’re scaring me. Are you okay?  
 **Text from Rhett:** You made it to work this morning, right?  
 **Text from Rhett:** If this is about this morning, I’m so sorry.  
 **Missed Call from Rhett  
** **Voicemail from Rhett  
** **Text from Rhett:** I love you, Link. Please come home? Or at least call me?

Link’s hands were trembling so much that he could barely hold his phone. He sobbed violently, his guilt unbearable. Wiping his eyes, he began to drive. He wasn’t sure exactly where he was going, knowing he couldn’t stay at Nick’s house, but unable to face Rhett at home. He decided he’d find a motel. Link’s mind was racing, replaying the events from earlier--or at least the ones he could remember. He needed to tell somebody. He had to vent. The only person he could think to talk to was his new coworker, Veronica. He was too upset to worry about ruining their brand new friendship. He needed to talk. As he pulled into the parking lot of the first motel he found, he fumbled for his phone. It took him a moment to find her contact through his blurry, tearful vision, but he managed. 

She answered almost immediately. “Link, hey! It’s late, what’s up?”

Link couldn’t speak through his loud, violent sobbing. He wanted to tell her everything, but he could barely even breathe. 

“Oh, no. Link, talk to me. What happened!? Are you hurt? What’s wrong?”

“I… I…” Link hiccuped. “I really messed up, V--Veronica. I don’t… I don’t…"

“Shhhh, Link...” her soft, gentle voice came through the speaker, attempting to soothe him. “Take deep breaths and tell me what’s wrong.”

Link tried to do what she asked, and he calmed down a small amount, but not by much. “I did something I really shouldn’t have, and I… I don’t know what to do.”

“Tell me what you did, Link.”

He tried to find the words to explain, but the more he dwelled on it, the more upset he got. He hung up on Veronica, unable to say what he did aloud. He got out of the car, the cold night air shocking his system. He wiped his eyes and locked the vehicle before running inside to check into a room. His phone buzzed in his coat pocket. Link entered his small room and checked his phone. Veronica was trying to call him again. His tears came back in full force. He threw his phone, keys, and glasses on the bed, deciding to sit in the shower and drown out his thoughts. 

Sitting nude on the floor of the tub, he let the water from the shower beat down on the back of his head and shoulders. The room filled with steam as Link sobbed, unable to get images of both Nick’s naked body and Rhett, worried and pacing around their empty home, out of his mind. He wasn’t sure how long he had been in the shower, but his tears eventually slowed, and he began to think more clearly. He shut off the shower and stepped out, drying off quickly. He redressed and checked his phone. Veronica had tried calling him multiple times. He sighed. Now that he was calmer, he felt deeply embarrassed that he’d called somebody he’d just met sobbing. He knew he owed her an explanation, or even just an apology, so he called her again.

She answered before the phone could even get through a single ring. “Link, oh my god! Are you okay!?”

“Hey, Veronica,” he sniffled. “I’m sorry about that. I, uh…”

“Link, please tell me what happened. You were talking like you murdered somebody or something!”

If Link were in any other situation, he would have laughed at her comment. “I’m so sorry I worried you. It’s just… Do you remember during lunch today, how I seemed upset?”

“Yeah, I do. I thought you were just nervous, it being your first day working with us, and all…”

Link swallowed hard and laid down on the hard bed. “Well, my fiance Rhett and I had a fight this morning…”

“Ooooh, sweetie,” Veronica sighed. “I’m so sorry. Was it serious?”

“Now that I think about it, not really.” Link wiped his eyes, but tears continued to flow. “I was worried about what I was gonna wear to work, and he said it wasn’t important. It was stupid. But when he didn’t wish me luck, it made it worse. And today was the day we usually meet up for lunch…”

“That was a shitty move on his part,” Veronica acknowledged. 

“Yeah, we’ve had worse fights in the past. I mean, we’ve been best friends since first grade, for Pete’s sake…”

“First grade!?” Veronica was utterly shocked. “Oh my goodness… I don’t know if I’ve ever heard anything more cute…! Six year-old best friends to engaged to be married?” Link couldn’t help but smile a sad smile. When he didn’t speak, Veronica added, “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have said that right now. What made this fight so much worse?”

“I… I don’t know what got into me. An old college friend of ours recently moved out here, and he happened to be my last delivery tonight… So he suggested I come back for a beer and a movie…” Link was trying his absolute best to keep more violent sobs at bay, his voice cracking with the effort. He’d finally calmed himself down, and the last thing he wanted was to get so upset again.

“Oh, no. Link, I know exactly where you’re going with this. Oh, sweetie… Are you still there? Where are you right now?”

“I’m at a motel. I… I couldn’t go home. Rhett, he… I guess he made me an apology dinner or something. I can’t go back there, Veronica. I… I feel like shit, and…”

“Link, listen to me. This is something that--”

“You know what?” Link was suddenly beginning to try to rationalize his actions. 

Veronica was silent for a moment, but eventually asked, “What, Link?”

“That was something I’d never do sober. I’d never… That meant nothing. I was horrified when I realized what I did. This means nothing. This means absolutely nothing. Rhett and I… Rhett is the only person I love like that. I… I should go home.”

“Of course you should go home, Link! You need to go home and tell Rhett that you--”

“Oh God, no. I… I can’t tell him. You know what? I don’t need to tell him. This isn’t something to be concerned about. It was a one time thing, and I… This is all okay. It’s okay!” Link was starting to get excited. He couldn’t wait to run home and hug Rhett...to wrap him in his arms and apologize for being out so late. 

“Um, Link? I really do think you need to--”

“Thank you so much for listening, Veronica. It seriously means the world. And I really am sorry for worrying you. I’ll see you at work!” he said, hanging up before the girl could respond.

Link quickly checked out of the motel and wasted no time driving home. He was excited to return home until he drew closer to the house. All of the tears he had shed that night had drained him, and he was feeling tired. He yawned deeply as he parked his car in the driveway. He slowly unlocked the front door and stepped inside. Rhett ran into the entryway to greet him. 

“Jesus, Link! Where have you been!?” He didn’t even seem mad, just worried.

“I’m really sorry. Nick happened to be my last delivery, and we, uh… He wanted me to hang out as celebration. We watched a movie and drank a couple of beers. We both crashed on the couch, so I didn’t see your texts.” Link did feel guilty, but he wasn’t lying to Rhett. 

“Oh, good. I was so worried you’d gotten hurt or something. I’m so, so sorry about our fight earlier. I made all kinds of yummy breakfast food to surprise you, but it’s gross now.”

Link bit his lip and stared at the floor. “Thanks. It’s… It’s okay.”

“I love you so much, baby,” Rhett said, pulling Link into a firm embrace.

Link could feel his tears coming back, but he kept them at bay. “I love you, too,” he muttered.

Rhett asked Link if he wanted to do anything to celebrate his first day of work, but Link shook his head. He explained that he was exhausted and just wanted to sleep.

“I understand,” Rhett assured, kissing Link’s forehead. He held onto his hand and led him into their bedroom. The two men got ready for bed side-by-side, and when they finally crawled under the covers, Link clung to Rhett like his life depended on it. He rested his head on Rhett’s chest, sighing deeply. Rhett ran his fingers through Link’s raven hair, whispering “I love you so much.” Link smiled. Right there with Rhett… That’s where he truly belonged. He promised himself that he would never do a thing to put these moments in jeopardy ever again just before dozing off.

**Author's Note:**

> This is our first time doing a collab and we're super excited to see how it turns out!!! Feedback is greatly appreciated! :D


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